Mont. Admin. R. 24.222.525 - AUDIOLOGY SCOPE OF PRACTICE

(1) The scope of practice of audiology includes but is not limited to:

(a) identification, assessment, management, and interpretation of auditory/vestibular disorders;

(b) otoscopic examination and external ear canal management for removal of cerumen in order to:

(i) evaluate auditory/vestibular disorders;

(ii) make ear impressions;

(iii) fit hearing protection or prosthetic devices; and

(iv) monitor the continuous use of hearing aids;

(c) administration and interpretation of behavioral, electroacoustic, or electrophysiologic methods used to assess auditory/vestibular disorders;

(d) evaluation and management of children and adults with auditory processing disorders;

(e) supervising and conducting newborn screening programs;

(f) measurement and interpretation of sensory and motor evoked potentials, electromyography, and other electrodiagnostic tests for purposes of neurophysiologic intraoperative monitoring;

(g) provision of hearing care by selecting, evaluating, fitting, facilitating, adjustment to, and dispensing prosthetic devices for hearing loss, including:

(i) hearing aids;

(ii) sensory aids;

(iii) hearing assistive devices;

(iv) alerting and telecommunication systems; and

(v) captioning devices;

(h) assessment of candidacy of persons with hearing loss for cochlear implants and provision of fitting, and audiological rehabilitation to optimize device use;

(i) provision of audiological rehabilitation including:

(i) speech reading;

(ii) communication management;

(iii) language development;

(iv) auditory skill development; and

(v) counseling for psychosocial adjustment to hearing loss for persons with hearing loss, their families, and care givers;

(j) consultation to educators as members of interdisciplinary teams about communication management, educational implications, classroom acoustics, and large-area amplification systems for children with hearing loss;

(k) prevention of hearing loss and conservation of hearing function by designing, implementation, and coordinating occupational, school, and community hearing conservation and identification programs;

(l) consultation and provision of rehabilitation of persons with balance disorders using habituation, exercise therapy, and balance retraining;

(m) designing and conducting basic and applied audiologic research, and disseminating research findings to other professionals and to the public, to:

(i) increase the knowledge base;

(ii) develop new methods and programs; and

(iii) determine the efficacy of assessment and treatment paradigms;

(n) education and administration in audiology graduate and professional education programs;

(o) measurement of functional outcomes, consumer satisfaction, effectiveness, efficiency, and cost-benefit of practices and programs to maintain and improve the quality of audiological services;

(p) administration and supervision of professional and technical personnel who provide support functions to the practice of audiology;

(q) screening of speech-language, use of sign language, and other factors affecting communication function for the purposes of an audiological evaluation or initial identification of individuals at risk for other communication disorders;

(r) consultation about accessibility for persons with hearing loss in public and private buildings, programs, and services;

(s) assessment and nonmedical management of tinnitus using:

(i) biofeedback;

(ii) masking;

(iii) habituation;

(iv) hearing aids;

(v) education; and

(vi) counseling;

(t) consultation to individuals, public and private agencies, and governmental bodies, or as an expert witness regarding legal interpretations of audiology findings, effects of auditory/vestibular disorders, and relevant noise related considerations;

(u) case management and service as a liaison for consumers, families, and agencies in order to monitor audiologic status and management and to make recommendations about educational and vocational programming; and

(v) consultation to industry on the development of products and instrumentation related to the management of auditory/vestibular function.

Notes

Mont. Admin. R. 24.222.525

NEW, 2006 MAR p. 2413, Eff. 10/6/06.

37-1-131, 37-15-202, MCA; IMP, 37-15-102, MCA;